


Bring Him Home

by Liv_andletdie



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Father-Son Relationship, Gen, Kinda, Les Misérables References, Musical References, Religious Content, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Rusl prays and it's set in a Basilica so yeah Religion is involved, be free little fic, now it's free, this has been stuck in my head for 2 years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-15
Updated: 2019-09-15
Packaged: 2020-10-19 11:18:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,676
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20656370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Liv_andletdie/pseuds/Liv_andletdie
Summary: Praying had never really played an important part in the blacksmith’s life. In moments of pain, in moments of pleasure, Rusl had always been quick to thank his fellow man over some faceless and nameless entity.But now…





	Bring Him Home

Praying had never really played an important part in the blacksmith’s life. Not when the worst storms hit the countryside, or when illness and death swept through the village he called home, not even when his wife brought their youngest son into the world. In moments of pain, in moments of pleasure, Rusl had always been quick to thank his fellow man over some faceless and nameless entity. 

But now… 

Rusl handed his sword to one of the acolytes at the entrance with shaking hands. It had been so long now since he’d been separated from his blade, it felt wrong to leave it with a stranger. But then, he supposed, that was the nature of war. The nature of invasion. Every civilian capable of fighting, forced to become a one man army to protect that which he cared most about with no guarantee of a happy ending. 

It was truly an awful way to live, and one that Rusl had hoped his boys would never see. 

Poor Colin, his youngest, had been kidnapped along with the other children in the first wave. Dragged through the countryside by monsters and abandoned on the roadside. Rusl could hardly bare to think about how terrified his little boy must have been. Must still be! The very thought caused a horrible wound to open up in his chest, all loneliness and heartache gushing from him like spilled blood. Colin was only a child! He didn’t deserve to go through this hell. But at least he was safe now. Behind Kakariko’s walls and with friends, he would make it to see the next sunrise. A small blessing, perhaps, but it meant everything to the father. 

Link, on the other hand… 

Pushing past the ancient oak doors, Rusl made his way into the main chamber of the Basilica. The worn red and brown tiles on the floor stung the soles of his feet though his sandals, intricately carved pews lined up like soldiers on either side of the aisle, and the thick scent of burning candle wax and parchment hung in the air. Around the room, the walls were painted with images of women in red, blue, and green. Their luster was faded now, patches of sand coloured plaster showing through where delicate jewellery and beautiful smiles should have been. The once breathtaking stained glass windows, showing heroes dressed in green and great crimson beasts, were now shrouded in dust and grime blocking any and all glimpses of the setting sun. The building itself felt like it was in a state of decay, the shadows cast by the flickering candle light hiding most of the damage. Only the shrine at the end of the room seemed relatively untouched by time’s cruel hand. 

A large, triangular pool filled with crystal clear water was set into the old stone flooring, candles and flowers placed at each corner. A pulpit stood to the left hand side, decorated with ribbons in emerald, ruby, and sapphire hues. Rusl guessed that that’s where the preacher or priestess would stand to deliver their sermons, but for now it was empty, along with the rest of the chamber. The wall behind the shrine was also painted, however this mural only showed one woman. She looked to have been taken care of more so than her sisters, her long white gown and wings seemed to shine in the dim light of the room, and in her hands sat three golden triangles in perfect formation. The face of the woman looked… peaceful. Calm, perhaps. A stark contrast to the torment outside. 

Thankful for the privacy, Rusl took his place on the ground before the pool. Kneeling to the painted woman as a knight would to his Queen. The stone was barely warmer than the tiles, ice cold pain flooding his joints in a numb ache. But any sense of discomfort would have to wait. This was something that he needed to do. 

The tomb like silence of the Basilica threatened to swallow him whole. From his position on the floor, gazing up at what was surely a goddess, he couldn’t help but feel tiny and powerless. Who was he to ask her for anything? A Human in a Hylian temple in front of a Hylian god. But there was no one else to turn too, no one else who could help him. 

No one else who could help Link. 

His eldest son, though not by blood. He’d found him one day in the woods, by pure chance, starving and cold and covered in rags. The very sight of him had shattered his heart into a hundred thousand little pieces. He’d thought of Colin, only a few months old, left alone in the world with no one to care for him. Uli had joked about him bringing home a stray, but how was he meant to leave the child out there? 

How was he meant to leave his son out there now? 

He knew Link was capable, he’d personally seen to that. But even now, he could still remember the shake in his son’s voice when he told him that he was going to storm Hyrule Castle and save the Princess. He could still remember the carefully hidden fear that shone in his eyes. The tremor of his hands as he methodically packed away his potions and weapons, fingers lingering on the simple slingshot from that last peaceful day a lifetime ago. 

He was barely a man by Hylian standards. Just gone 17 last year and already trying to balance the fate of the entire world on his shoulders. It hurt to see him like this, wounded and brow beaten. Exhausted but still forging on despite everything. Who knew where he was getting this strength from? Who knew for how much longer it would last? Would it abandon him when he needed it most? Leave him open to a fatal wound that would sever his tie with the mortal world once and for all? It was almost too much for Rusl to bare. 

And his boy, his brave stupid boy, had been determined to do it alone! 

Fear, incredible fear, washed over him like a great flood. His heart and soul being torn away in the tidal wave. His son, his child!, was about to storm headfirst into a Castle no doubt filled with deadly monsters and traps. And he was sitting here on the stone floor staring up at a mural? What kind of man was he?! What kind of father?! 

He could feel his entire body shake, his broken heart pounding against his ribs like a war drum. He needed to do something, needed to _help!_ Tears threatened to roll down his cheeks as he looked up at the painted woman before him. 

Hylia… that’s what Shad had called her, right? The patron goddess of this land and it’s people. Sworn protector. Still standing tall and vigilant in the midst of a war, surrounded by decay. Her bright blue eyes looked flush with tears, her lips pressed together as if to force back a sob. Grief and worry mixed into gypsum and paint. Radiant and loving. 

Rusl felt his words die in his throat. 

How could he ask her for anything? He was but one man in a sea of souls, his cries would be lost in the vast howling wind that rocked the stained glass in it’s frames. She was ethereal! Resplendent! Holy in only the way gods and angels can be. Why would she listen to him? 

_Please,_ He wanted to cry, _Let him be! Let him live!_

What he wouldn’t give for his sons lives. For Colin and Link to make it home before the years end, to meet their new little brother or sister. For the three of them to spend another summer by the campfire or fishing or playing on the ranch. To see their mother once more, to be safe and sound at home. To have a future in this strange and terrible world! He would give anything for that to be a possibility! 

Anything and everything. 

Link was terrified and alone. Colin was so so far from home. Uli was safely hidden by lush green trees but Rusl couldn’t shake the guilt of wanting to be there by her side, of wanting to drag Link by the collar all the way back down south and leaving Hyrule and the Princess to deal with this war without them!! 

But Link had a destiny. He’d known the second he saw him dressed in green. Link was born to save the world. 

His tears flowed freely now, trails of saltwater staining his cheeks and blurring his vision. Hylia stood before him, now nothing more than a white smudge. His hands shook as he clutched at his shirt, his white knuckled grip almost tearing the fabric in his fervour. A heart wrenching sob tore from his throat and Rusl folded in on himself. 

“Bring him home!” He begged, “Bring him home!”

The words tumbled from him like water from a fall, spilling and crashing in tumultuous waves over the stone flooring. A litany of sobs crying out through the still air of the basilica, _Bring him home, bring him home bring him home. Let him live, let him live let him live!_

Rusl would give anything for his sons, even his own life. She could take his in exchange if it would mean that his children would grow up happy and healthy! 

He screamed and sobbed until his throat was raw, begging and pleading until he could barely breathe. He prayed and prayed until his tears ran dry and his vision cleared up once more. Hylia, in her glory, gazing down at him with mournful eyes. 

“Please,” he choked, voice hoarse and tired from overuse “bring my boys home.” 

And through his exhausted, fatigued state, he would swear that the Goddess in front of him smiled through semi ruined plaster and paint. And all would be okay, she wouldn’t let his son go into battle alone. 

_~Fin~_

**Author's Note:**

> AHHHHH Loud yelling! I'm back! I wrote a fic and it wasn't Zelink? Wow? Don't worry Puppy Love The Date is on it's way, I just needed to flex my writing muscles and do this first. The idea has been stuck in my head for a long long long time and I really wanted to explore, both Rusl's relationship with religion and his relationship with Link (his adoptive son) I hope I managed to do it justice. I wanna say thank you to my friend's Missdellarosa and Ciderr for reading over this for me and for helping me with a few finishing touches. 
> 
> If you like what I'm doing feel free to check me out at liv-andletdie on Tumblr. Any news about Puppy Love and future writing projects will be on there along with personal life stuff and sub funny memes. Thank you so much for your support


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